You want functional software that is delivered on time and within budget. That is the objective. But the truth is According to a Geneca survey, 75% of business or IT executives believe that their projects are usually doomed from the start. According to a Standish Group report, any new software application is challenged 47% of the time, is successful 4% of the time, and fails 49% of the time. To stay ahead of these dismal statistics, you must have a solid software development strategy.

Because software development is a highly complex process, it is frequently outsourced. In today’s technological environment, businesses understand the importance of seeking the assistance of professional experts. The search for a reputable software development company to build a functional software application is a part of this process.

Let’s take a closer look at what a software development plan is and how we can help you create a perfect project plan in 10 simple steps.

What is a software development plan?

A software project plan provides your development team with a big-picture understanding of what it will take to complete the job on time and within budget, including:

• Resources required to complete each phase
• Deliverables, deadlines, dependencies, and milestones that must be met
• Work/sprint completion time estimate

10 Steps to Create a Software Development Project Plan

If you fail to plan, you almost certainly plan to fail – or at the very least, to prolong the timeline, increase the cost, and frustrate the project team. The following are the key steps in planning a software development project.

1. Establish your goals

Defining your project’s goals and scope helps to indicate your ideal endpoint and clarifies your intentions for the project. It is easier to create a realistic plan to achieve your goals if you clearly define and outline them.

2. Determine your requirements

Once you’ve determined your objectives, you can figure out what you’ll need to get there. Your specifications will include defining the elements that will comprise your project, such as the budget, time, equipment, and team.

3. Budget estimation

Creating a list of requirements will assist you in determining a rough estimate of your costs, allowing you to be better prepared for the investment in your project.

4. Create a timeline

At an early stage, a software development plan provides a rough definition of the project phases. The timeline provides a detailed plan of the required steps as well as their deadlines.

5. Separate tasks within the project

It is beneficial to isolate the smaller tasks that comprise the project when developing a software project plan. This can help determine the project budget and form a team to manage various aspects of the project. For example, you might want to form a team to perform quality assurance on the software’s beta code.

6. Establish schedules for your team

Once you know when each task in the project should be completed, you can create schedules for everyone who is working on the software. Detailing how many human resources you require and communicating with your team about project requirements can help you meet milestones on time and deliverables on time.

7. Plan sprint meetings

Sprints and sprint meetings are tools used in modern management. These techniques are intended to shorten project timelines. Managers, developers, and others collaborate on the project during sprint meetings. They talk about what tasks are on the agenda for the week. Sprint meetings are preferred by some managers every two weeks, or even once a month.

8. Create accessible guide documents

Documents should be made available to the team when developing a software project plan. This means they can quickly locate the documents, open them on their devices, and read them. It also implies that the documents are well-organized and simple to read.

9. Create a process for continuous iteration and modification

Parallel to the software development process, testing, tracking, and bug fixing occur. This is an ongoing process aimed at resolving as many issues as possible and moving the project forward.

Another round of in-depth testing follows the completion of the software. This is typically done by a group of beta-testers. User experience tools can provide information about how users interact with software. It is beneficial for developers to review their work even after the software has been released.

10. Carry out a post-project evaluation

At the end of a project, project teams are frequently disbanded and reallocated to other initiatives. As a result, a post-project review should be included in the software project plan, so that resources can be allocated ahead of time to complete this work.

You don’t want to skip this stage and force future projects to repeat the same lessons. This is both expensive and inefficient.

Final Thoughts

A software development project’s planning is equally important as its execution. It establishes the groundwork for success. It reemphasizes the development team’s methodologies, standards, and methods for the software project.

It serves as a guide for staying on track with the project’s budget, resources, and deadlines. This, in turn, aids in meeting objectives and maintaining clear and effective communication.

Yes, creating a software development project plan takes time, but it is well worth the investment. On the other hand, if you choose outsourced development in collaboration with a trusted offshore software development company, you will avoid all of the headaches associated with planning.